2022 World Snooker Championship: Start date, how to watch, full draw

The World Snooker Championship is upon us again – and we have all the information you need to know ahead of the 2022 event at the Crucible, including the start date and full draw.

Sheffield will once again welcome 32 of the best snooker players in the world to its famous Crucible Theatre.

It promises to be another special tournament. Mark Selby is the reigning champion, having defeated Shaun Murphy in last year’s final. Six-time champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, meanwhile, is the world number one heading into the event.

YouTube video

Other competitors to watch include former world number one and 2019 champion Judd Trump, as well as UK Championship holder Zhao Xintong and three-time world champion Mark Williams.

Neil Robertson, meanwhile, won the most recent tournament held – the Tour Championship. He defeated John Higgins in the final, who will also be one to watch.

Let’s take a look at everything you need to know ahead of the tournament:

What is the start and end date for the 2022 World Snooker Championship?

2022 World Snooker Championship
Image Credit: Getty

The 2022 World Snooker Championship begins on Saturday, April 16, at 10am.

As is the tradition at the Crucible, the reigning champion will open proceedings on table one. That means that Mark Selby will be in action against his first-round opponent.

Here are the scheduled dates for each round, including when the final will take place:

  • First-round matches – April 16-21
  • Second-round matches – April 22-25
  • Quarter-finals – April 26-27
  • Semi-finals – April 28-30
  • Final – May 1-2

How can I watch the 2022 World Snooker Championship?

Both BBC and Eurosport will be providing coverage of the 2022 World Snooker Championship.

BBC will alternate its coverage between BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four and its Red Button service, depending on schedules. Alternatively, all matches will be available live on BBC iPlayer.

Eurosport, meanwhile, will also have dedicated live coverage of the entire tournament. The service is available through most Sky Sports packages. If you are not already a Eurosport customer, you can subscribe to Eurosport/discovery+ Entertainment and Sport package for £6.99 per month, or £59.99 per year.

What is the full draw for the 2022 World Snooker Championship?

Image Credit: Getty

The full draw for the tournament took place on Thursday, April 14, and created some interesting matchups.

World number one Ronnie O’Sullivan has a tricky test for his first-round match. He takes on former World Championship semi-finalist David Gilbert.

Reigning champion Mark Selby, meanwhile, has been drawn against world number 38 Jamie Jones.

Last year’s finalist Shaun Murphy will also have a challenging opponent in Stephen Maguire. Judd Trump faces 2022 Snooker Shoot Out winner Hossein Vafaei.

Here is the first-round draw in full (seed numbers in brackets):

  • Mark Selby (1) vs Jamie Jones
  • Yan Bingtao (16) vs Chris Wakelin
  • Barry Hawkins (9) vs Jackson Page
  • Mark Williams (8) vs Michael White
  • Kyren Wilson (5) vs Ding Junhui
  • Stuart Bingham (12) vs Lyu Haotian
  • Anthony McGill (13) vs Liam Highfield
  • Judd Trump (4) vs Hossein Vafaei
  • Neil Robertson (3) vs Ashley Hugill
  • Jack Lisowski (14) vs Matthew Stevens
  • Luca Brecel (11) vs Noppon Saengkham
  • John Higgins (6) vs Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
  • Zhao Xintong (7) vs Jamie Clarke
  • Shaun Murphy (10) vs Stephen Maguire
  • Mark Allen (15) vs Scott Donaldson
  • Ronnie O’Sullivan (2) vs David Gilbert

Featured Image Credit: Getty